Ballarat North - Invermay
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Ballarat North - Invermay are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Ballarat North - Invermay's population is 15,425 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 675 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,750. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,169 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 149 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 210 persons per square kilometer. Ballarat North - Invermay's growth rate of 4.6% since census positions it within 0.9 percentage points of the non-metro area (5.5%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 43.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, Ballarat North - Invermay is forecast to experience significant population increase, expanding by 4,436 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 27.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Ballarat North - Invermay when compared nationally

Ballarat North - Invermay has averaged approximately 94 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, there were 473 homes approved, with an additional 4 approved so far in FY26. On average, 1.6 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five financial years.

This indicates a balanced supply and demand market, supporting stable conditions. New properties are constructed at an average value of $545,000, which is moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. There have been $2.9 million in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Ballarat North - Invermay shows substantially reduced construction, with 63.0% below the regional average per person.

This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties. The development consists of 91.0% detached dwellings and 9.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated population count of 402 people per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections show Ballarat North - Invermay adding approximately 4,180 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Ballarat North - Invermay has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 35 projects likely to impact the region. Notable initiatives include La Trobe Street Saleyards Redevelopment, Central Neighbourhood Activity Centre Ballarat North, Ballarat North Residential Growth Area, and Eastwood Community Hub. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Employment conditions in Ballarat North - Invermay demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Ballarat North - Invermay has an educated workforce with a low unemployment rate of 2.6% as of June 2025. The area experienced employment growth of 7.3% in the past year.

As of that date, 7,987 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.2%, lower than Rest of Vic.'s 3.8%. Workforce participation is high at 63.6%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Education & training has a significant share of employment, at 1.5 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented with only 1.3% of the workforce compared to Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%. Employment opportunities may be limited locally, as indicated by Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 7.3%, while labour force increased by 6.8%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic. saw employment decline by 0.9% and a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4%. State-wide, Victoria's employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year to Sep-25, adding 39,880 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, slightly higher than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ballarat North - Invermay's industry mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Ballarat North - Invermay had a median taxpayer income of $51,678 and an average income of $66,352 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is higher than the national average for that year. Rest of Vic., however, had a median income of $48,741 and an average income of $60,693 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, estimates for March 2025 would be approximately $56,903 (median) and $73,060 (average) for Ballarat North - Invermay. Census data shows that incomes in Ballarat North - Invermay cluster around the 50th percentile nationally. Income distribution reveals that 31.2% of the population falls within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region. Housing costs are manageable, with 87.2% retained. However, disposable income is below average at the 48th percentile, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Ballarat North - Invermay is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Ballarat North - Invermay, as per the latest Census evaluation, 88.3% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 11.6% comprising semi-detached units, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro Vic., which had 85.6% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ballarat North - Invermay stood at 37.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.7% and rented ones at 26.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,560, above Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,499. Weekly rent in the area was recorded at $300, matching Non-Metro Vic.'s figure but significantly lower than the national average of $375 for mortgage repayments and $428 for rents.

Ballarat North - Invermay has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 67.2% of all households, consisting of 29.5% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 32.8%, with lone person households at 29.4% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average in the Rest of Vic.

Ballarat North - Invermay performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's educational profile is notable with university qualification rates at 31.2% of residents aged 15+, surpassing both the Rest of Vic average of 21.7% and the SA4 region rate of 24.6%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 19.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 32.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (21.7%). Educational participation is high at 28.1%, with 10.0% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 4.6% pursuing tertiary education.

A total of 8 schools operate within Ballarat North - Invermay, educating approximately 1,321 students. The area has balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 1014) with a mix of 7 primary and 1 K-12 school. However, local school capacity is limited at 8.6 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 18.0, leading many families to travel for schooling.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Ballarat North - Invermay has 61 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of train and bus routes totaling 52 individual services. Collectively, these routes facilitate 4,019 weekly passenger trips.

Residential accessibility to transport is rated good, with residents typically located 299 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 574 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 65 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Ballarat North - Invermay is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Ballarat North - Invermay has significant health challenges with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older residents.

Approximately 52% (~8,082 people) have private health cover, slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (10.1%) and asthma (9.2%). About 64.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 62.3% in Rest of Vic. The area has a higher percentage of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.3% (2,975 people), compared to 17.8% in Rest of Vic. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

Ballarat North - Invermay is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Ballarat North - Invermay had a low cultural diversity, with 90.4% of its population born in Australia, 92.9% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.7% of people in Ballarat North - Invermay, compared to 45.0% across Rest of Vic.. The top three ancestral groups were English (31.5%), Australian (27.0%), and Irish (13.0%).

Some ethnic groups had notable differences: Scottish was overrepresented at 10.0%, Dutch at 2.0%, and Maltese at 0.5%.

Ballarat North - Invermay's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Ballarat North - Invermay is 40 years, which is slightly below the Rest of Vic.'s average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. Compared to the Rest of Vic., the 25-34 cohort is notably higher at 13.2% locally while the 65-74 age group is under-represented at 10.8%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 13.0% to 14.0%, whilst the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 13.1% to 11.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Ballarat North - Invermay, with the 25 to 34 age group projected to grow by 1,408 people (69%), reaching 3,451 from an initial 2,042. The 55 to 64 group is expected to grow modestly by 5%, adding only 82 residents.